Will Iconic Ambassador Brand Make A Comeback?

French automaker, Peugeot will officially enter into the Indian market in 2020. The company plans to launch 3 new smart cars including a hatchback, a sub-4 meter SUV and a mid-sized sedan to start its India innings. What’s interesting is that the French automaker has also purchased the Ambassador brand from the CK Birla Group’s Hindustan Motors in 2017. This suggests that Peugeot is eventually looking to revive the iconic Ambassador nameplate in India. It is expected that the brand’s new sedan could wear this nameplate.

Peugeot has a mid-sized sedan, called the 308 sedan, which was launched in China in 2016. This sedan could make its way to our market. However, it is likely to receive several changes in order to achieve Ambassador like curvy design. Peugeot will use HM’s Chennai based plant to assemble cars. A deal with HM’s component arm Avtec has also been signed to produce engines for Peugeot. Read – Online petition filed to restore India’s iconic Hindustan Ambassador model

The French automaker could first launch the new sedan with Ambassador nameplate to make a positive impact in the Indian market. This decision will also play an important role to establish positive sentiments among buyers. The iconic Ambassador also has an emotional connect with almost all generations in the country and are now ready to buy a new car. Read – Peugeot Is working on a sub-4 meter SUV for Indian market

If reports are to be believed, Peugeot could also opt for a retro-styled small car for the revival of Ambassador nameplate in India. The company has several small cars in its global portfolio and Peugeot could use one such platform to develop a retro-styled Ambassador in India. The company could aim at an aggressive pricing of around 6-7 lakh.